Page 54 - IRANRptAug22

Raisi calls for renewed attempt at building first Iranian passenger plane
The foreign ministry objected to decision saying that it would severely hamper the growth in inbound tourism following the two-year shutdown during the pandemic.
The letter noted that on average 2mn Iraqis visit Iran every year and said that jacking up prices would be a deterrent to regional inbound tourism.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi called for a renewed effort at building an Iranian passenger plane during a visit he paid to Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (Hesa) in the city of Isfahan, Tasnim News Agency has reported.
The reinstatement of the 2015 nuclear deal, or JCPOA, would lift the US sanctions that for several years have barred Iran’s way to obtaining scores of new jets ordered from Boeing and Airbus—but deadlocked talks between Tehran and the major powers mean such a revival of the agreement may not occur, meaning the acquisition of such aircraft would remain out of reach for Iran and the country might have to substantially rely on its own knowhow to replace many ageing planes in its passenger jet fleet that will have to be taken out of service in the not-too-distant future.
Raisi, local media said, ordered Hesa to design and manufacture passenger planes with at least 72 seats to be available “in the near future”.
Days after Raisi visited Hesa, Iran’s defence and armed forces logistics minister, Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani, wrote to Brigadier General Afshin Khajefard, chief executive of Hesa’s parent company, Iran Aviation Industries Organization, instructing him to follow up on Raisi’s order.
Under Raisi’s predecessor Hassan Rouhani, Iranian Aviation Technology Development Headquarters (IATDH) was instructed to develop a 72-seat passenger plane. Officials briefed that the aircraft would be ready by 2021, but local reports indicate that a lack of state funding have put the project way behind schedule.
Forbes noted that in February 2021, Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) announced plans to start domestic production of a 100-seater passenger aircraft, but there has been no further news about it since then.
In the past, Iran had a licensing deal with Ukraine’s Antonov to build the 52-seat Iran-140 (based on Antonov’s AN-140), but the programme was hobbled by low production numbers and suffered several crashes.
Hesa is also responsible for producing components for Iran’s ageing fleet of fighter jets. International sanctions prevent Iran from importing original parts for the planes.
9.1.4 Transport sector news
Beijing backs $5bn Trans-Afghan railroad that would open up transit options for Central Asia, Iran and Russia
Beijing stands ready to support the implementation of the $5bn Trans-Afghan railroad that would provide Central Asia with a cargo gateway into Pakistan, opening up cargo export options at the Arabian Sea ports of Karachi and Gwadar, according to China’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong.
The railway would run from Afghanistan’s northern hub of Mazar-i-Sharif, located near the Uzbek and Tajik borders. From there, it would run to Kabul and onwards to Peshawar in Pakistan.
“The Chinese leadership is ready to support the implementation of trans-regional projects, including the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway line and a railroad connecting Western China with Central Asia,” Yue stated at the Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development conference held in
54 IRAN Country Report August 2022 www.intellinews.com